AWDI publishes new, updated version of its Installation Manual for ContractorsAWDIFirst published in 1990, the AWDI Illustrated Contractors Guide to Installing Windows has grown into a 112-page manual — fully illustrated and detailed with hundreds of drawings and photos covering all aspects of replacement and new construction. And, the latest edition has all eight of the sections required in EPA and Energy Star Version 6.

Version 7.2 even includes the recently updated Standards and Practices which has been the originating basis of ASTM 2112 and the core curriculum for AWDI's Certified Installation Program which has earned the accolades of Consumer Reports Magazine; and earned a Federally Registered Certification Mark.

25 tips for earning customer loyaltyEntrepreneurAs most marketers have experienced at some point, it's one thing to hook customers, another beast completely to retain them. Improving customer loyalty should be a priority, or those customers you worked so hard to convert could vanish before you even know what happened.
To avoid that, here are 25 ways to better your company's customer loyalty.

Prospects Don't Like Ads but They Still Like E-mail? Can You Sell More with E-mail?

Not enough replacement contractors are taking advantage of e-mail. It still works and stats show people still read them. We’ve got a free guide to show you how the top home improvement companies are keeping their sales pipeline full and increasing close rates while spending much less on marketing. Our guide shows how to write e-mails that boost business, choose the best subject lines, and how a call-to-action increases your bottom line.
Get the Guide

Home improvement in US slowing or still intact — which is it?BloombergTwo indexes that gauge U.S. home-remodeling activity suggest a slower pace ahead. Wall Street seems to disagree.
Future market conditions measured by the National Association of Home Builders' Remodeling Market Index fell to 55.4 in the three months ended March 31 from a record-high of 59.5 in the fourth quarter, data from the group showed recently. Similarly, a leading indicator of remodeling work created by Harvard University projects annual growth in home-improvement spending will slow to 2.9 percent by year end from a projected 6.5 percent in the first quarter.

How to ensure your business avoids 'Mobilegeddon'By Jessica Taylor Stop me if you've heard this before: "Your website needs to be mobile-friendly." Companies have heard this mantra for years, but now a tangible penalty is in effect, punishing websites that don't render well on smartphones and tablets. It's being called "Mobilegeddon." As of April 21, if your website isn't mobile-friendly, then you will likely be missing out on a lot of traffic. Why? Google shook up the way their search algorithm ranks websites, placing the ones that are mobile-friendly higher in the search from a smartphone or tablet than those sites that aren't.

6 marketing moves small businesses can borrow from big companiesForbesEstablished businesses have one obvious advantage over their younger counterparts: Deep pockets.
Fortunately, what today's small business lacks in budget can be made up for with strategy and a few carefully chosen tools. Here are six smart marketing ideas gleaned from my experience running a company that teaches small firms how to compete with big ones.

Softwood exports rose, lumber prices fell as dollar strengthenedWoodworking NetworkSoftwood lumber exports were 5-8 percent higher in Canada, Russia and the Nordic countries in 2014, but lumber prices fell toward year's end on a strengthening U.S. dollar and weaker wood markets in Europe and Asia. Global trade of softwood lumber has continued to trend upward ever since the global financial crises in 2008. In 2014, export volumes were up 5-8 percent for a majority of the largest lumber-exporting countries in the world, including Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden and Germany, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly.

29 states lost construction jobs in MarchAssociated General Contractors of America via For Construction Pros Even as construction firms added jobs in 41 states between March 2014 and March 2015, construction employment declined in 29 states and the District of Columbia between February and March, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned that ongoing D.C. gridlock over how to pay for needed infrastructure improvements and declining demand for oil-related projects likely contributed to so many states shedding construction jobs last month.